Page:Reflections upon ancient and modern learning (IA b3032449x).pdf/348

 many of them at least, which require great Intenseness of Thought, great Strength and Clearness of Imagination, even only to understand them, how much more then to invent them? The Ancient Orators, who spoke so great things in Praise of Eloquence, who make it so very hard a thing to be an Orator, had little or no Notion of the Difficulty of these Sciences; the Romans especially who despised what they did not understand, and who did not without some Indignation learn of a People whom themselves had conquered. But if they could have conceived what a Force of Genius is required to invent such Propositions as are to be found in the Writings of their own Mathematicians, and of the Modern Geometers and Philosophers, they would soon have acknowledged that there was need of as great at least, if not greater Strength of Parts and Application to do very considerable things in these Sciences as in their own admired Eloquence, which was never more artfully employed than in commending it self: The Panegyricks which they made upon Geometry, were rather Marks of their Pedantry than of their Skill; Plato and Pythagoras admired them, and therefore they did so too, out of a blind Reverence to those great Names. Otherwise